Introduction/acknowledgements

Good morning – and thank you Tony [Ottaviano, Liontown chief executive] and the whole Liontown Board and the executive for inviting me to this opening ceremony here in Kathleen Valley.

I begin by acknowledging the traditional custodians of the land on which we are gathered, the Tjiwarl people, and pay my respects to elders past and present.

I also pay my respects to First Nations people here today.

I also want to acknowledge:

• My colleague and friend the Hon David Michael, Minister for Mines and Petroleum here in Western Australia
• Tim Goyder, Chairman of Liontown Resources
• Brett Lewis, Managing Director of Bundarra Contracting
• I also want to acknowledge and thank contractors and consultants, and also all of the workers who are here who have worked so hard on this project
• I also want to acknowledge the media people here today, and industry as well
• And of course the existing customers, international partners and the future customers of Liontown who are here today.

Key messages

I am delighted to be here today to mark the opening of the Kathleen Valley mine. 

In the language of the desert people of this region, the word Tjiwarl means “something shining”.

That is a perfect description of Kathleen Valley – a project as technically innovative as it is strategically ambitious.

The result is a project that will become a significant and long-term resource for both Australia and for our trading partners.

I’ve often said the road to net zero goes through Australia’s resources sector. The Kathleen Valley project is a perfect example of that.

The lithium from this mine will find its way into lithium-ion batteries that are crucial to produce electric vehicles and high technology devices such as mobile phones.

So it no surprise that the project has received strong support from partners around the world, in particular Japan and South Korea and of course China.

It is great to see that LG Energy Solution and US car manufacturers Tesla and Ford are all foundation customers for the spodumene concentrate produced here.

Indeed, LG Energy Solution have recognised the significance of this project by extending the offtake agreement by 10 years to 15 years in total.

There’s also the very promising agreement between Liontown and Sumitomo to explore the feasibility of developing a lithium supply chain between Australia and Japan.

And companies such as LG Energy Solution and Sumitomo Corporation should be congratulated for their vision.

I note LG is working on battery-powered space suits for NASA. So you never know, the spodumene from here in Kathleen Valley might soon find its way into space.

Here in the Northern Goldfields, far from energy and water grids, Kathleen Valley is also setting new benchmarks in sustainable mining.

With renewable energy and battery storage expected to meet up to 80 percent of the mine’s energy needs, this will be a project with a low carbon footprint. World leading in ambition and scope.

Comprehensive water and waste management systems are embedded in the mine’s operations to minimise land disturbance and long-term environmental impact.

I often speak about the importance of the mining industry earning and maintaining a social licence to operate.

Liontown exemplifies this principle through its strong commitment to clean, green mining and environmental stewardship and its relationship with the Traditional Owners the Tjiwarl people.

And why is Liontown making this effort? As Tony said, it is because it is the right thing to do. And it is an investment in the future of mining.

The company has also made exceptional efforts to optimise resource recovery at Kathleen Valley.

This has been made possible through the development of advanced techniques such as precision drilling and blasting – innovations that are groundbreaking in every sense.

The transition from open-pit to underground mining will enable the extraction of higher-value ores.

Importantly, the technologies pioneered here will help unlock other high-quality hard-rock lithium reserves.

This will bolster Australia’s overall critical minerals sector and allow us capture more economic opportunities from the global transition to net zero.

I’m pleased to say the Commonwealth has engaged extensively with Liontown over the years to help bring this project to completion.

I recognise the challenges being faced by the critical minerals industry.

The Albanese Labor government remains committed to supporting and growing Australia’s critical minerals sector through our Future Made in Australia policy.

As part of our commitment, we are working to establish the Critical Minerals Strategic Reserve.

We are also working with the Western Australian Government to assess the feasibility of a common-user Critical Minerals Advanced Processing facility in WA.

Initiatives like the Kathleen Valley project will support Australia’s goal to become a major supplier of battery minerals to our global partners and to increase our footprint in downstream processing.

It’s an ambitious objective – but with our world-class research and abundant critical mineral resources, it is well within reach.

Conclusion

In a state rich in lithium deposits, Kathleen Valley stands out for its potential.

Through hard work and the application of engineering excellence, the Liontown team is now realising that potential.

This project is a shining example of how the resources industry is leading the shift to a low-carbon economy.

To everyone who contributed to developing Australia’s first underground lithium mine – and one of its most efficient – I want to thank you and say congratulations.

You have each contributed to a very important resources development that is of enormous consequence, and one that is greatly in Australia’s national interests.

Thank you very much.